Normalizing is a heat treatment
process for making material softer but does
not produce the uniform material properties
of annealing.. A material can be normalized
by heating it to a specific temperature
and then letting the material cool to room
temperature outside of the oven. This treatment
refines the grain size and improves the
uniformity of microstructure and properties
of hot rolled steel.

Normalizing is used in some plate mills,
in the production of large forgings such
as railroad wheels and axles, some bar products.
This process is less expensive than annealing.